


At the Mercy of a Dream

by Lolsnake9



Category: Green Lantern (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: ....except it will, Black Mercy, Everything is Green and Nothing Hurts, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Green!Sinestro, Hallucinations, M/M, Marriage, Meet the Family, Relationship Discussions, idk how fucking else to tag this, it will hurt, will prolly add more as this goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28362573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolsnake9/pseuds/Lolsnake9
Summary: In Hal's perfect life, it is only three months before he and his beloved fiance Thaal get married, but Hal didn't know how to break the news to his family. But nothing good lasts forever....
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Thaal Sinestro
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Visit

**Author's Note:**

> So I got this idea to expand upon Hal’s Black Mercy dream-world and his relationship with Sinestro from issues 7-8 of Johns’ Green Lantern since I’ve been re-reading that arc and hoo boy the FeelsTM are back on me again :’)
> 
> I initially wanted to make this into one long one-shot, but decided to divide it into three parts to make it more organized and cleaner, so to say
> 
> Title taken from a Vocaloid song (and boy is THAT one very fitting title)
> 
> enjoy

To Hal Jordan, his life was like going through a sunny breeze right now.

After finishing apprehending Mongul with Ollie and throwing him to the Oa Sciencells, Hal decided to take a little trip to Korugar. He flew through the planet’s atmosphere and into the airs of the planet’s capital, where his attention was drawn by the sight of a residence that was noticeably taller than the others surrounding it, though not too much that it became jarring and just enough to signify whom it belonged to. 

Hal flashed a smirk as he flew and landed on the balcony, discarding his Lantern uniform and into his casual Earth attire. He took a step inside to the red-and-gold accented bedroom, carefully looking for signs of anyone present. He smirked again when he couldn’t find any. Good.

He proceeded to take cautious steps further into the bedroom, with the smirk he had slowly growing into a wide, mischievous grin. What he didn’t notice, however, was the shadowy figure sneaking up behind him, which then proceeded to wrap its arms around Hal’s chest as the human jolted from shock.

“Got you."

“AAAIIEEEE! Goddammit, what the hell were you doing?! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Hal screamed as the culprit just gave a hearty laugh. Hal’s face puffed up in frustration upon turning and looking at the still-laughing culprit - none other than his own fiance, which he originally planned to surprise, Thaal.

“Well, you came back earlier than usual. You apparently forgot that I can already smell you coming when you landed on that balcony.”

A sour smile appeared on the exasperated human’s face. “Sigh, I guess….I never expected you to pull shit like that on me, anyway.”

Thaal only replied with another hearty chuckle. “So, you just didn’t have much else to do on Earth, hm?”

“Yeah, something like that. I just got done dealing with Mongul alongside Ollie when he invaded Earth, planning to release those Black Mercy plants. Said goodbye to Ollie and his son Connor before taking Mongul back to the Sciencells where he belongs. That’s when I had the idea to visit and surprise you.”

“And instead it is me who surprised you.” Thaal said as he planted a kiss on Hal’s head.

“Yeah, yeah. Next time I won’t be caught so easily, however.”

“I’m looking forward to that.” “Mongul....after the death of his father, the previous Mongul, he’s been obsessed with continuing his father’s dream of universal conquest. It is nothing short of necessary to keep him locked away, for the good of the universe. Nothing less I expect from my prized student….and my future husband.”

“Oh...oh yeah.”

It was Thaal’s two last words which caused the matter that Hal had been worrying over for the last week resurface to his mind.

Now, it wasn’t the marriage part he was anxious about. Sure, for the most part of his life Hal had, quite simply, dreaded even the very mention of the word, viewing marriage as a sort of binding spell that would hinder him from the free-riding and high-risk life he had always desired. That really couldn’t be further from the current truth, when after a years-long relationship with his mentor within the Green Lantern Corps Thaal Sinestro Hal was nothing short of delighted to finally be able to call someone else, someone he _loved_ , his own.

Rather, it was that it brought the memories of his family meeting a week ago. It was the standard fare; Jack and Jim shared about their families and kids (which Hal adored, don’t get him wrong), which of course prompted his mom to ask Hal about when _he_ was going to settle down and start a family, like she did every other meeting. Hal too, gave his usual answer, saying that he wasn’t seeing anyone and acting like he still got spooked by the concept of ‘marriage’.

But of course, how could he even _begin_ with actually telling them the truth that he’d been in a relationship with an alien, who was also his superior in the Green Lantern Corps and just about the _last_ kind of person his family would have ever expected him to end up with?

In the end, he decided to shake those thoughts off his head, however, not wanting his time to take a break with his beloved fiance after a long day to be soured with such worries.

There’s always time to think later.

“....anyways, beating Mongul wasn’t easy as I had thought, even with Ollie’s help.” Hal said, releasing himself from Thaal’s hold. He walked towards “I’m pretty beat so I’m just gonna lay down here, and….” he said, throwing himself to his bed with a sigh as he landed. He closed his eyes as he stretched his body to fully relax himself. Thaal followed him to sit on a desk in front of the bed.

“You didn’t do much yourself all day, didn’t you?” Hal asked.

“There was a bit of trouble stirring up near the edge of my sector with several Khundian fleets invading our skies. They were numerous and pushing them back was no small effort. Though, the help of my back-up Katma Tui did help immensely.” Thaal answered as he continued with his work. Hal only grunted in acknowledgement, closing his eyes to rest.

Katma...just the mention of her name brought to Hal’s mind her wedding to John Stewart just two years ago. Hal had always found it funny how the two Green Lanterns of Korugar act as mentors for the two Green Lanterns of Earth when they first get inducted the Corps, and eventually get romantically involved with them as well, something he head repeatedly brought up to both John and Katma, and Thaal himself. 

And with that, the thought of his own impending marriage to Thaal, yet again making him anxious.

Yet, as if Thaal could somehow read his mind he suddenly broke the silence. “So, four years.”

“What?” Hal responded, opening one eye.

“Four years since you first joined the Green Lantern Corps, and our first meeting. Two years since we first started a relationship.” Thaal continued, scooting over to Hal on the bed to wrap his arm around Hal. “And….it’s been a year since we became engaged to each other. Now, it’s only three months until we will finally be united in marriage. I can hardly wait.” he said again as he proceeded to hold Hal’s hand.

“Yeah….I...I can’t wait too.” Hal answered, avoiding Thaal’s eyes and hoping that he didn’t see the worry on Hal’s face. But obviously, Thaal noticed it anyway.

“Hal, is something wrong?”

“Huh? No, it’s nothing.”

“Something is bothering you, Hal. You think I won’t be able to figure that out, after four years of being together with you?”

“I just…”

Thaal cupped Hal’s cheek to force him to look at him. “ _Tell me._ ”

Looking at Thaal’s concerned eyes, Hal finally conceded, letting out a deep sigh. “Fine, it’s just that…..I just met up with my family a week ago.” Hal said, shifting over his body so that he was on top of Thaal.

“How did it go?”

“Eh, just the usual fare. Had some fun flying around with my dad. Jack and Jim were sharing news about their families, how fast their kids have grown up...which of course caused mom to ask me about when I am gonna get married, again. And well, truth be told, I told her I wasn’t seeing anyone….the same thing I’ve been telling her for years because I couldn’t tell her about _you_ . About _us_.”

Thaal’s eyes shot up and his upper body jerked upright, almost throwing Hal off-balance. “Why? Why haven’t you told them?”

“Well, I mean...I quite frankly don’t think my family is going to be all that prepared for the news of me dating - and being engaged with - an alien, let alone the one he’s going to marry in three months. They have given me quite enough shit when I came out as bisexual, and although they’ve accepted _that_ this is a whole different matter entirely.”

“Have you told them about you being a Green Lantern, at least?”

“That one I have, and they accept and support me, though they may not understand everything about the job and what it entails. But they understand my responsibility.”

Hal took a deep breath, scratching his head. “I...I don’t know what to do.”

“You realize you don’t need to do this, right? If you feel uncomfortable about telling your family about who you’re going to marry, then just let them be. You don’t need their permission to do what you want. There’s no need to burden yourself.”

“That’s not the problem here, Thaal. I have to admit, I have always been a bit reckless. Doing whatever I want and not thinking about what people think, even my own family. But then, when I remember about when I almost lost my dad, when I was ten...I got reminded about how easily you can lose those close to you. That someday, when they’re no longer there, you’ll realize how much you’ve taken them for granted. And I certainly do not want to feel that way if I do eventually lose them. So I decided that I shouldn’t hide anything anymore. No more hiding secrets, or keeping them out of the loop anymore. I want them to be a part of my life, and me theirs. So I need to tell them, because when we get married, you’ll become a part of us too.”

“But you’re afraid.” Thaal said, softly brushing over Hal’s hair.

“Afraid….yeah, that’s really how it is. I am afraid.” Hal said as he let his head down on Thaal’s chest with a huff. “Heh, pathetic, isn’t it? I am a mighty Green Lantern who can shoot and kick any space criminal’s ass, and yet I don’t have the guts to tell my family about the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.”

“That’s not pathetic at all, Hal. Indeed, we were chosen by these rings because of our ability to overcome great fear, and use it to protect the universe. But there are moments where even we are still daunted, because the problems we face can’t just be solved by the ring’s power. But you don’t need to do it alone.”

Hal was silent, merely continuing to contemplate what Thaal had said. “What if I come with you?” he suddenly heard Thaal say again.

Hal’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“The next time you meet with your family, I’ll come with you. That way we can be introduced and so get to know each other better. It’ll also be easier for us to explain things to them.”

“That’s a bit sudden now, don’t you think?! I-if we just suddenly reveal everything all at once-”

“It may be surprising for them, that’s for sure, but if we just talk to them, we can make them understand.”

“.....”

“You’re okay with this, right?”

“...yeah. I suppose...that is the best way to go about it. Even, I suppose even if they won’t accept us, then....”

“Then we’ll just have to figure things out ourselves. Isn’t that right?” Thaal asked with a kiss on Hal’s forehead, which caused Hal to smile.

“You’re right, Thaal. I, uh….thank you.” Hal said, voice a bit muffled. Thaal replied with a smile before putting 

“For now we’ll just rest.” Thaal muttered, putting his hand on and soothing Hal’s back.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Hal answered half-sleepily.

“Or…you probably want to do _something else_?” Thaal suddenly said, waking Hal up when his hand drifted to slip under Hal’s pants, just above his ass. Hal looked up to see Thaal’s eyes darken and a slow smirk appearing on his face, the same expression he always had whenever things were about to get _heated_ between them. Hal then returned with a suggestive smirk of his own. 

“Sure. That’s a way _better_ idea.”


	2. Meeting

Almost a month and a half since his visit to Korugar, and Hal once again came for the Jordan family reunion held in his parents’ residence. It had been an hour since he finished his Lantern job and he just used his ring to fly since it was faster anyway.

He landed on the front lawn of the house, which looked barely any different from how he remembered from his childhood. He smiled thinking about all the times he and his brothers were playing, of all the injuries they’ve sustained (but Hal mostly) and getting yelled at by their mom for it. 

Once he reached the front door, Hal readjusted his clothes a bit before ringing up.

“Coming...hey, look who’s finally here!” said Jack as he opened the door, followed by Jim running up to it. “Hey, Hal! Took you long enough!”

“Sorry, Jack. I was busy at work so I-” 

Before Hal could finish his sentence, he was immediately swarmed by Helen, Jason, Howie, Jane and Arthur running up to him.

“Uncle Hal!” 

“Hahaha, hey kids! How are you all doing? Good to see you too Sue, Jan.”

“Hey, Highball!” Hal heard from the back of the house, turning to see his dad and mom waving at him.

“Dad!” Hal exclaimed as he immediately ran up to and hugged his father.

"Me and your mom were afraid you weren’t gonna show up!” Martin said as he gave Hal a can of beer.

“Come on, I’d never miss out an opportunity to spend more time with you guys!” Hal said, opening the can and drinking. “So, about what you told me 3 days ago, how’s the development of the new model going?”

“It’s going pretty well. Carl told me it’s probably going to need more tweaks before we can run the first test. We’re planning for it next month.”

“Sweet! I have no doubt it’ll go smoothly.”

“Of course it will. As long as I have you and Jess, I can fly through anything!” Martin said, hugging and kissing Jessica.

“Come on, Martin!” Jessica said, flustered

“But it’s true. How about you, son. Your, uhh….secondary job holding up?”

“Oh…oh! Yeah, it’s still all good.”

“I have no doubt about that.” Martin said, pausing for a sip. “You have always been capable, son. I trust you always take your responsibility well.”

Hal smiled. “Thanks Dad.”

Hal looked to see where the kids were playing. He saw Helen and Howie fighting over a toy, with their mothers trying to stop them.

“Hey come on now kids, play nice now…”

Hal smiled. “Those kids are really growing up fast, aren’t they?”

“They really are. They remind me a lot of you three boys, honestly. Oh, I just remember that time when little James was-” 

“Mom! Come on, not in front of Sue!” Jim cut off before his mother could continue, causing the three brothers to break in laughter. They just continued to look at the chaos happening until Jessica spoke again.

“Well?”

“Well what?” Hal asked.

“When are you going to get a family like that too?”

“Mom! It’s not even an hour and you're already bringing that up?!” Jim snapped again.

“Honestly, even we are getting sick of it. Imagine how Hal must feel!” Jack said with a laugh, whereas Hal only gave a slight sour smirk.

“Hahaha, well, actually…about that matter…” Hal said, trailing off.

“You already have someone to introduce us to?” Martin asked.

Hal sighed again “Yeah. Actually, that’s what I came here for!”

Jessica’s eyes practically lit up at the announcement “That’s wonderful! Oh, will you introduce her now? Or is it a he?”

Hal scratched his head. “Right, uh, gimme a second.” he said as he stepped out to open the door, much to the anticipation of his family. “Thaal? Can you come inside now?”

And in a second, the expressions of the rest of Jordan’s family changed into that of shock as the surprise guest entered.

“So, yeah...mom, dad, Jim, Jack....say hello to my fiance Thaal Sinestro.”

The rest of Hal’s family, however, remained frozen. Hal internally cringed; he already knew this was going to happen. What he needed to figure out, however, was how to at least manage the situation.

“Greetings. My name is Thaal Sinestro of Korugar and-”

“Oh, oh lord.” Hal could hear his mother 

“Hal, who the hell is-?!” screamed Jim. Oh, as if this could get any wo-

“It’s the Devil!” “I’m scared, Mom, Dad!” then his nieces and nephews started to get scared as well. Understandable, but still….

“I knew this would happen. Sorry Thaal, it’s just-” Hal said, sighing.

“I understand. You did tell me that Korugarians unfortunately look like the humans’ interpretation of the Devil once.”

“That’s true, but….hey!” Hal stepped forward, trying to diffuse the situation.  “Look, look, I already knew this was going to be very shocking, but please, if you just calm down…”

And indeed, after much conversation and persuasion, and finally Hal managed to sit Thaal and his family down together for lunch. Well, at least just for that, to just sit. Obviously they haven’t fully processed the news completely, and thus didn’t say a word for the longest time. Thaal himself tried to go along with it as if it was normal, which Hal greatly appreciated. 

But even so, with each second the tension in the silence grew stronger and stronger and more unbearable. That was, until Martin said the first question.

“So…how long have you been together?”

“Four years.” Thaal answered.

Martin blinked in surprise. “Oh, you speak English?”

“I do study your languages - well,  _ one  _ of them among the  _ millions _ \- since I was introduced to your planet’s culture through your son. Though as Green Lanterns, we use the ring to translate most of the time.”

Martin nodded. He was about to ask another question, when his wife spoke up, “Why did you never tell us about this before?! And now, you just come in with the news that you, and this...man, are engaged!”

“Because I knew you guys would react like this!” Hal said, voice raised.

“Yeah, but, you could have at least prepared us for the news…” Jessica trailed off, before simply sighing.

“Hal, are you sure you have made the right decision?” Jack asked.

“What do you mean, Jack?”

“I mean, look at him! He’s not even human, and just look at his name! Sinestro?! Really??”

“It means differently on my planet than in yours.” Thaal answered, irritation already setting on his face.

“Jack, that’s enough.” Hal tried to reason with his brother. But it only made Jack stand up.

“I don’t know what you saw in him, Hal, but I don’t like the superiority on his face looking down on us!” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, just calm down alright?!” Jim tried to intervene before anything could happen, and so the situation cooled down. Awkward silence once again filled the room, with everyone only looking tentatively at one another. Hal sighed, though he was internally grateful; that the whole thing didn’t explode into a full-blown argument, especially with Thaal already looking pissed off as he was.

“So, back to our conversation...you said you have been together for four years? How did you two first meet?” Martin asked.

“He was assigned as my mentor when I was first inducted to the Corps.” Hal answered while drinking a glass of water. “We didn’t officially hit it off until I was officially made a member, so there is no taboo being broken here...I think.”

“Except for one of the laws in the Book of Oa forbidding fraternization.” Thaal quietly added.

“Oh yeah, that. But the Guardians mostly didn’t care about it, though, which is good.” Hal finished, carefully examining his father’s curious expression.

“...I see.” was the only thing Martin said. Hal saw him wiping his mouth after finishing his plate, before continuing, “Now, son, I’m going to say this...I have no problem with who you’re dating, even if he is a man and not human. You are an adult and I have faith that you pick the right choices, so it is not my place to dictate your personal choices. That being said...are you ready for this?”

Hal blinked. “Ready?”

“Yes, ready. You are about to start a new life together, with a person you love and have spent four years with. That is going to take a lot of dedication and effort. Added with your jobs, which you yourself already describe as strenuous and involves a lot of risk, are you sure you’re ready for it?”

“I can assure you that Hal and I have already discussed this matter intensely over the four years we have been together. He is, indeed, already prepared for this matter.” Thaal suddenly cut Hal off before he could say anything, which visibly ticked Martin off.

“Although that is good, it will be much more reassuring for me to hear it straight from my son.” Martin said again, returning Thaal’s glare before turning to Hal again. “Well?”

“I...yeah, it’s exactly like what Thaal said. I know I have always been kind of irresponsible, doing what I want without thinking about you. But now...I have made this big decision in my life, and I just want to let you know.”

Martin nodded. “I see. And now, as for you, Thaal Sinestro...I don’t have a problem with you, because you seem like quite a reasonable person, and I’m confident that Hal hadn’t made a mistake in making you a part of his life. But with that...I want to make sure that you are aware of the responsibilities  _ that  _ entails.” 

“It will be wise for you to not make assumptions about responsibilities and what I do.”

“I will when it involves my son.”

The tension in the room rose again with Hal’s fiance and father continuing to glare at each other, which the others already felt uncomfortable with. But thankfully, the two men decided to break the staring contest before anything could happen.

Hal turned to his mother. “Well, mom? How about you?”

Jessica sighed. “Well, I suppose it’s just like what your father said. As long as you’re happy about it, then...I can do nothing but support you.” she said, much to the surprise of Jack and Jim.

“But, mom! How can you-”

“That’s enough, Jim. I think I have been holding Hal down too long. This once, I can give him the freedom of doing what he wants....something he should have always had from the beginning.”

Hearing that, Hal could only give a tired smile. Martin wiped his mouth with a napkin after finishing his plate and suddenly stood up to offer Thaal a handshake. Thaal seemed reluctant at first, but when Martin nudged him, he finally accepted.

“Welcome to the family.”

* * *

The meeting did continue for one more hour, though it was mostly Hal making small talk with his family and Thaal benign surprisingly sociable, even if Jim and Jack still seemed untrusting of him. When it was over Hal and Thaal prepared themselves to go back home.

“I’m sorry Thaal. That...could have gone a bit better than it did.”

“But we did explain things to your family. That did get that weight off of your chest now, didn’t it?”

“Oh, yeah...kinda. Sorta.”

“Don’t let that worry you too much. After all...we’ll be doing things together from now on, won’t we?” Thaal said, holding Hal’s hand. With that, a smile formed on Hal’s lips. “Yeah, I know.” he said, while pulling Thaal into a kiss. “Love you. Be seeing you soon.”

“I’ll see you soon too.” Thaal said as he flew away with his ring. Hal sighed again.

He felt a light of excitement flicker in his heart for the following days to come.


	3. Wake

It had been two months since he introduced Thaal to his family.

And now, the day had come.

He had to admit, he had had...slightly different expectations for his wedding day, if it ever came to him. He didn't expect to marry his alien mentor with whom he's had 4 years of relationship with. He didn't expect said wedding to be held on a planet several light years away from his own, namely Korugar.

But mostly, it was just like he had always dreamed of it.

“The wondrous opportunity to unite two souls in one…”

Hal didn’t even pay attention to the marriage officiant's speech, only to his beloved Thaal.

"...to pledge your love and promise to one another, in abundance and scarcity, through pain and through happiness...."

On the seats, there was his family on one side, some members of the GLC on the other including John, Katma, Kilowog, Arisia, Tomar-Re, Kyle, and even Guy all came.

“.....united under both the blessed skies and above the blessed earth.”

After the priest finished, Thaal took Hal’s hand to prepare for the exchange of vows.

It was a miracle Hal hadn’t burst to tears at this point, though he was very much at the verge of doing so.

Everything he had ever wished in his life was coming to this very moment. Surrounded by everyone he has ever loved, in his happiest moment, almost seeming like a...like a…

…a dream.

It was a kind of _realization_ that hit Hal, which then caused the air to feel...different, somehow.

No, not just the air either, but the atmosphere. His surroundings, which suddenly felt less like reality and more like a blurry, foggy recalling of distant memories long gone.

“Hal? Are you alright?” Thaal asked him, snapping him from his thoughts.

“This doesn’t feel real.” Hal quietly muttered.

Thaal smiled. “That’s what I thought, too. To be able to hold your hands, to be united for the rest of our lives....it seemed beyond anything I’ve ever imagined. But this is real.” he continued, proceeding to hold Hal’s hand.

Hal shook his head. “T-that’s not what I mean. I just…I don’t….I don’t think any of this is real. Dad, Mom, and Jack are all still alive….Coast City is still there...and, and you, you never….”

_“How could you do this?!”_

“....you never…”

_"You didn’t put them under order. Put them under FEAR!”_

“....I never....:”

_“You betrayed the Corps, Thaal! You betrayed ME!”_

Hal felt a sudden, sharp pain across his chest, causing him to keel over to the ground with a scream. He saw his surroundings become even more unstable, distorting into twisted shadows of reality. Incidentally, that was when everything flooded back into his mind. _Everything_.

The fight against Mongul with Ollie, the battle that he thought he had won. And everything before that.

Everything that he wished he could forget, that made him wish he could ignore. But he couldn’t.

“Hal?! Hal, what’s the matter?!” Hal, who remained clutching his chest on the floor, tears already streaming down his face.

“I-I should have known from the beginning. My life was perfect - too perfect. Everything I ever wanted…I have it all. But no one has a perfect life, doesn’t they? Not….not even me. Especially not me.”

The perfect world that Hal had constructed around himself, the dream in which he used to escape his bitter reality had all crumbled down, dissipating into non-malleable layers of existence.

But somehow, Sin- _Thaal_ remained still in front of him.

Hal mustered up the last of his strength to stand up and look at his soon-to-be husband’s face - well, an illusion of it, anyway. Looking at his kind, considerate stare - and the flashing memories of that very same face twisted by anger and vengeance that he’s much more familiar with now.

It was bad enough being reminded of what he can’t - what he shouldn’t have, but when Thaal raised his face with a soft caress on his cheek.

“Hal. Hal, I….I love you.” Thaal said, voice soft and reassuring. But all it did was to make Hal struggle even more to hold his tears in, for he knew that it was Like a soothing hand to keep him from waking up. 

But he knew his responsibilities, knew that he couldn’t ignore them again in favor of his own wishes. 

“I know. I...I love you too.” Hal answered, touching Thaal’s hand.

He still remembered what his dad had said to him. He couldn’t remember whether it was something he had actually said before he died; or yet another thing fabricated by his subconscious in his constructed fantasy. He didn’t care.

_“When life is good, you have to enjoy it.”_

Hal could slowly feel himself slipping away as he was slowly but surely waking up to reality - no doubt because of Ollie’s help. He knew he had to ultimately reject and let go of this dream. But, still….even if it was fake, Hal didn’t want to let it go just like that.

So Hal kissed Thaal and wrapped his arms tightly around him, to feel the warmth of his lips and his entire being, even just for a brief moment before the bitter reality came crashing down on him.

To grab for yourself, what you ultimately couldn’t keep-

“HAL!”

* * *

The first thing Hal realized when his mind snapped back into reality, aside from Ollie’s voice calling his name, were the Black Mercy plants attached to him which continued to siphon energy from him even after he woke up from his dream. And, of course, the presence of Mongul. 

“Ollie?!”

Hal wasted no time in getting rid of the plants, before helping Ollie free himself too. (while getting into a brief scuffle with his sister, Mongal as well), but they managed to push Mongul enough to make the alien warlord flee and retreat from Earth.

When it was all over, 

But...the dream still lingered in his mind. Moreso, the feeling of _him_ before it all faded away-

“Hal? Are you okay?” Ollie asked him, snapping Hal from his thoughts.

“Oh. Yeah. I was...nevermind. I’m just glad we managed to stop Mongul before he could do anything worse." he replied, trying to force a smile. Ollie seemed to be able to see it through, though, looking by his narrowed eyes.

"Well, yeah. But...you're not thinking about..."

"There's no need to worry about that. I think we're done for today. I'll see you later, Ollie."

Hal parted with Ollie, and after the long day flew back to his apartment. He changed to his casual clothes and hastily threw his jacket to the side of the sofa, among the piles of dirty clothes from this week.

He wanted nothing more than to get a good night's sleep, but instead he chose to sit against his bedroom door, knees slowly curling up before bursting to tears.

He had accepted it long before he was woken up, but it still _hurt_. That the dream was so vivid, felt so _real_ even after it was over didn't help matters.

He wished he could just forget, forget the foolish hope that things could have been different.

Is there any fault to a man who dares to dream? A man who dares to hope for things to be different? Probably not. But Hal knew it is ultimately just that, dreams and hopes. And he, of all people ultimately knew how painful _hope_ could be.

Because in the end, the memories were all he had left.


End file.
